Bahrain cuts diplomatic ties with Iran

5:35 pm January 4, 2016| Last Modified: 5:38 pm January 4, 2016

Manama, Bahrain (BBN)-Bahrain has announced it is severing diplomatic ties with Iran, following a similar move by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia on Sunday gave Iranian diplomats two days to leave amid a row over the Saudi execution of a top Shia Muslim cleric and a subsequent attack on its embassy in Tehran, reports BBC.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are the key Sunni and Shia powers in the region and back opposing sides in Syria and Yemen.
Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni Muslim king but its population is majority Shia.
The kingdom on Monday gave Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.
There are fears sectarian strife may spread in the region following the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others in Saudi Arabia on Saturday after they were convicted of terror-related offences.
On Monday, two Sunni mosques in Iraq were bombed and an imam killed.
Saudi Arabia announced late on Sunday it was severing diplomatic relations with Iran after demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran. It has recalled its own diplomats.
Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday accused the Saudis of “continuing the policy of increasing tension and clashes in the region”.
Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said: “Saudi Arabia sees not only its interests but also its existence in pursuing crises and confrontations and attempts to resolve its internal problems by exporting them to the outside.”BBN/SK/AD

No Subscription? You Are Missing Out!

Join the business leaders of Bangladesh who rely on BBN's original reporting and in-depth analysis on business scenario of the country. We send only one daily email. No Spam Guaranteed!